Just a sliver: There’s a pizza renaissance unfolding in Berkeley and Oakland, home of Cheese Board, Gioia, Emilia’s, Zachary’s, Pizzaiolo and scores more. Danville’s Jules Thin Crust will be opening an outpost this spring in the Rockridge storefront previously occupied by Las Palmas (5804 College Ave.). Heather and Jeff Clapp’s signature longboard-shaped pizzas are topped with colorful mixes of ingredients, including artichoke hearts, apple and asparagus, for example, or fig jam, Gorgonzola and prosciutto. Jules has been a big hit in Danville; now the Clapps are looking to score a similar success right across the street from Zachary’s.

Meanwhile, in downtown Berkeley, the pizza de resistance is Sliver Pizzeria, launched by three alums from Cheese Board — where the lines stretch long and crowds dine on the median strip, right under the “keep off median” sign. The new place is on Center Street, in the space previously occupied by Sportivo. Like Cheese Board, Sliver offers a vegetarian pizza of the day — with roasted Brussels sprouts, mozzarella and Asiago, for example, or D’Anjou pears, roasted fennel and blue cheese. Unlike Cheese Board, there’s a full bar and cozy seating, too. Plus a feel-good, only-in-Berkeley component: A slice of the profits goes to humanitarian aid organizations that fight human trafficking. Open Mondays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner. Details: 2132 Center St., Berkeley; http://sliverpizzeria.com.

Dungeness days: It’s high season for Dungeness crab, and restaurants are making the most of the catch. At the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, which includes Yankee Pier in Lafayette and Lark Creek Walnut Creek, the month of February is devoted to crab-centric cuisine, such as the crab cakes with lemon aioli and apple-fennel slaw featured at Yankee Pier. Details: www.larkcreek.com.

Jackie Burrell is the editor and senior writer for the Mercury News and East Bay Times' Eat Drink Play section, which explores the West Coast's food, wine, cocktail and travel scene each week. An award-winning writer, Burrell joined the Bay Area News Group staff in 2000.

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